Recovery at hospital and at home..

A cardiac patient may be admitted to a hospital, particularly,if he recently had a heart attack or his condition is serious enough to require continuous monitoring. A patient who had a heart attack is initially kept in an ICCU and then shifted to a ward. The duration of the stay in the ICCU and the ward would depend upon the patient’s condition and the state of his recovery. To some extent, it would also depend upon his cardiologist.

In the United States, insurance companies prefer that a patient is kept in a hospital for as short a duration as possible so as to contain cost. For example, in some cases a patient is discharged within 2 or 3 days because of the excellent post discharge infrastructure facilities, such as paramedical help, available. In developing countries, because such facilities are lacking, a patient is kept in a hospital for several days or even for a couple of weeks.

What to do when someone gets a heart attack..

The patient should immediately tell the nearby person what is happening to him – regardless of the time of the day/night and whether he knows him or not. Then, make the person lie down immediately to loose his clothing. Make sure he is breathing. You may lift his chin slightly to ensure that he breathes freely. Keep him conscious. If the breathing stops, a trained person should give him artificial respiration till a medical help arrives.

Do not lose anytime in getting a medical help. Do not move the patient around. I was shifted from my office to my car, then to my residence and finally to the ICCU, while I was experiencing a heart attack. In all these movements valuable time is wasted which worsen my heart condition. It is very likely that I had received an immediate medical attention at the office or has I been directly shifted from the office to the ICCU, then the damage to my heart would have been less.

Is it difficult to implement lifestyle changes?

Well, You may ask, if lifestyle changes are so effective, why do many people go in for angioplasty and bypass surgeries? The answer is, angioplasty and bypass surgeries are much easier to go through than effecting changes in lifestyle. Not much has to be done by the patient in undergoing angioplasty or bypass, whereas for changing his lifestyle he has to have determination and discipline; he , and not the doctor,has to play an active role. Secondly, effecting changes in one’s lifestyle takes much longer time than angioplasty/bypass.

But remember, the benefits of lifestyle changes are also long lasting. Of course, in a given case, a person’s condition may warrant angioplasty or bypass. Further, a person’s relatives may also insist on angioplasty because of the fear of worsening of the condition if that treatment is not undergone. What is essential is that in such cases, angioplasty should be accompanied by necessary lifestyle changes so that the patient not only recovers but also remains healthy for the rest of his life.

Need for lifestyle changes...

The most important point to be noted is that changing one’s lifestyle is the most inexpensive way of treating existing or potential coronary artery disease. I have spent a large sum of money on my medical treatment even though I have not undergone angioplasty or a bypass surgery. If I had followed a healthy lifestyle in the past, I would have saved not only this amount of money but also the loss of productive time and the trouble and the trauma that my family members and close relatives had to undergo. This is the surest way to keep yourself away from an Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, hospital and medicines.

How to prevent or reverse heart disease..

Is it possible to reverse heart disease? After certain age, every one has some amount of blockage in coronory arteries. However, as long as there is adequate flow of blood to the heart, if he has no symptoms of heart disease and all the tests are favourable, a cardiologist would say that his cardiac health is very good. Let us assume that in the year 2006, Dimple got heart attack and her autobiography showed that she had 90% blockage in her left anterior descending coronory artery. Prior to that, she has no identified heart problem. After her heart attack, she took various steps to improve her life style and as a result, now she has no symptoms of heart disease, and stress test, lipid profile, etc., are favourable and she feels very fine.

Further,as long as a person switches over to a healthy lifestyle, he should enjoy a good health. He may need appropriate medical treatment and procedures for a certain duration, depending upon his condition. However, on a long-term basis, what would help him is his healthy lifestyle.

The message is loud and clear: If a cardiac patient follows a healthy lifestyle, he would be able to remove or,at least significantly reduce, the ill effects on his cardiac health and he would be able to enjoy a good health for the rest of his life.

Reversal of Heart Disease, a Must- Not an Option

There is always a first time for everything.

A person who develops heart disease, often worries whether heart disease can be cured or whether heart disease is reversible.Lack of understanding of this aspect is one of the major causes of worry.

From my personal experience, and discussing with various cardiac patients and cardiologists, from reading medical research literature, I am convinced, beyond a shadow of doubt, that heart disease is reversible.

What is reversal of heart disease?

First let us understand what do we mean by reversal of heart disease. By reversal of heart disease I mean removing the root causes, risk factors and the symptoms of heart disease. For example, let us say that a person has heart disease because he id obese. If by reducing his excess weight he cures himself of heart disease, then he has reversed his heart disease.

Symptoms of Heart Attack...

If you ignore warning signs of a developing heart problem, it may later on result in either a heart attack or a cardiac arrest. When any of these occurs, timing is crucial and every minute is very important. Hence get immediate medical help. In such a case, instead of consulting a general physician, it is better to consult a cardiologist or go to the nearest hospital. Even if it is a false alarm, there is no harm. It is better to be overcautious than to be negligent.

Usually during a heart attack, a person gets severe and/or persistent chest pain,sweating, nausea, shortness of breath and even vomiting. These are the symptoms of a heart attack.

Thus, ignoring warning signs of a heart problem may cause serious problems later on. Ignoring symptoms of a heart attack can be fatal. Warning sings require outpatient management with lifestyle changes and medication. Symptoms of a heart attack require immediate inpatient evaluation and treatment.